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Austin Heat Pumps
Why Heat Pumps Fit Central Texas So Well
Think of a heat pump as an air conditioner with a reverse gear. In summer it moves heat out of the house; in winter it pulls heat from the outdoor air and moves it in. That second trick gets harder as the temperature drops, which is why heat pumps struggle in Minnesota and shine in Austin, where most winter days are in the 50s and 60s and a hard freeze is a few nights a year, not a season. Here, the equipment you need for cooling anyway can handle the heating with a small electric backup for the coldest nights.
That is why so much newer construction in Leander, Hutto, Manor, Kyle and Buda is all-electric with a heat pump, and why we replace a lot of aging gas-furnace-plus-AC pairs in Round Rock, Cedar Park and Pflugerville with a single heat pump system. The catch is that a heat pump runs year-round, so it needs both a spring and a fall check, and the outdoor unit that fights Austin heat in July also has to defrost itself in January.
The general guide to how heat pumps work and what we offer in both markets is on the heat pumps page.
- Two tune-ups a year Care Club covers a spring and a fall visit on an enrolled system, which is what a heat pump needs.
- Manager-reviewed installs Every HVAC installation over $3,000 gets a manager quality check under the Home Comfort Guarantee.
- Upfront pricing A written quote before any work, honored for 72 hours, with no surprise fees.
Heat Pump Trouble
What a Failing Heat Pump Looks Like in an Austin Home
Some of these are normal heat pump behavior and some are not. We can tell you which over the phone.
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Cool air from the vents in heating mode
Heat pump air is warm rather than hot, and that is normal. Air that is actually cold points to low refrigerant, a stuck reversing valve or a defrost problem.
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A huge electric bill after a cold snap
The system is leaning on its electric backup strips. Sometimes that is a freeze doing what freezes do; sometimes a sensor or thermostat is calling for backup when it should not.
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Outdoor unit encased in ice
A light frost that clears itself is fine. A solid block of ice means the defrost cycle has failed, and running it that way can damage the compressor.
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Cannot keep up in August
In cooling mode a heat pump is an air conditioner, with the same Austin failure points: dirty coil, weak capacitor, low charge, leaky attic ducts.
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Constant short cycling
Common when a system was oversized for a tight, newer home. It cools fast, shuts off, and never removes the humidity.
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A loud whoosh or hiss at changeover
The reversing valve shifting is audible and normal. Grinding, rattling or a new metallic noise is not.
Heat Pump Services
Heat Pump Work Across the Austin Area
Repair, service, replacement and new installs, from Georgetown to Buda and Spicewood to Taylor.
- Heat pump repair Reversing valves, defrost boards, capacitors, contactors, fan motors and refrigerant leaks. Available 24/7.
- Spring and fall maintenance Coil cleaning and charge check before summer; defrost, reversing valve and backup heat before winter.
- Furnace-and-AC to heat pump conversion Replacing an aging gas furnace and condenser pair with one system, including the electrical for backup heat.
- New heat pump installation Load-calculated for your house, permitted, and manager-reviewed on installs over $3,000.
- Dual-fuel systems A heat pump with a gas furnace as the backup stage, for homeowners who want hot air and grid independence on freeze nights.
- Ductless heat pumps Mini-splits are heat pumps too. Heating and cooling for a casita, garage conversion or ductless older home.
How It Works
Getting Heat Pump Help in Austin
A repair call or a replacement quote, without the pressure.
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Call or book online
Describe what the system is doing. Some heat pump behavior is normal, and we will say so before sending a truck.
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Diagnosis in both modes
Cooling and heating are tested, because a fault in one often hides in the other until the season changes.
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Written price, your call
Repair or replace, both in writing and honored for 72 hours. Financing through Service Finance Company for qualified buyers.
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Done and verified
A full cycle in the current season before we leave, backed by the Home Comfort Guarantee.
Current Specials
Save on the work your home needs most.
Heat Pump Questions in Austin?
Repair, tune-up or a switch from gas. We will give you straight answers, 24/7.
What Our Customers Say
Don't just take our word for it — hear from our satisfied customers
★★★★★
Our 18 year old HVAC system finally gave out this past week, so we reached out to Radiant to see what could be done. They sent a tech out named Bryan the same day, and he did a great job looking over the entire HVAC system. He was friendly and helpful in explaining everything that he saw, and our options moving forward. We decided to replace the entire system, so we met with Jacob (same day thankfully) to find the best HVAC system for our needs. Jacob was friendly, professional, and did a great job explaining the different options on offer. Radiant was able to set-up next day install, which was much appreciated, because the temps were still going to be cold in the coming days.
The install team consisted of Carlos and Pablo, who were very courteous and professional, and were kind enough to answer any questions I had regarding the install. They did a great job installing our new HVAC system, and were tidy which is always appreciated! Before they left, they explained everything that had been done, and showed me photos of the work.
Our entire experience from start to finish was great. I appreciate that they send photos of who is coming to your home too. Friendly, kind, professional team members, and good work all the way around. Thanks Radiant!
The install team consisted of Carlos and Pablo, who were very courteous and professional, and were kind enough to answer any questions I had regarding the install. They did a great job installing our new HVAC system, and were tidy which is always appreciated! Before they left, they explained everything that had been done, and showed me photos of the work.
Our entire experience from start to finish was great. I appreciate that they send photos of who is coming to your home too. Friendly, kind, professional team members, and good work all the way around. Thanks Radiant!
★★★★★
This is the first time I’ve used radiant my neighbor recommended them…. I called them today and they set me up an appointment on the same day. I was totally shocked at that and the service call was only $39!!…. Highly recommend them Danielle showed up and he was a great guy and he put up with all my wishy-washiness and I had to hurry him because I was heading to church and he got caught in a lot of traffic getting here he even would’ve installed the part that broke but I Didn’t have the time tonight….. He was patient with me and just told me to call the office first thing in the morning and get a service call set up…. Thank you so much Radiant!!….
With another cold front coming in tomorrow now I just hope they can get me scheduled for a separate call tomorrow but I have a feeling they will. They are such a great company!!😊😊
With another cold front coming in tomorrow now I just hope they can get me scheduled for a separate call tomorrow but I have a feeling they will. They are such a great company!!😊😊
★★★★★
Alex performed the winter service on my unit. This business along with Alex, are very professional and upfront about everything. To be transparent, this is the maintenance included with the purchase of a unit from them. I was informed about everything to include pictures as proof. I was told that my unit is 100% and very clean and again pictures to prove it. I was reccomended this business by a friend and glad he did. The initial purchase experience was also amazing. I had contacted 5 other businesses to get quotes about a new unit as my upstairs unit failed. 2 were outrageous quotes and I am technically still waiting on the other 3. On every instance of getting a quote, I waited about 1 week. Luckily my house has two units but still, un acceptable especially during the summer. I guess they all had so much business they did not care for mine. When I called this business not only did they come out the same day, I had the new unit installed with in 48 hrs. Oh and let's not forget the quote they gave me was the lowest of all. I can say enough good things about this business. Keep up the great work.
Maintenance Membership
Join the Care Club
Home maintenance for $9.99 a month.
Care Club members get two HVAC tune-ups and a plumbing safety inspection every year, priority scheduling, no dispatch fees — ever — and 5% off every repair.
- Priority scheduling
- Seasonal HVAC tune-ups
- Annual safety inspection
- Exclusive member discounts
- Free dispatch on repairs
- No long-term contracts
Austin Heat Pump Questions
Will a heat pump keep my Austin home warm during a hard freeze?
Yes, with its backup heat. On a typical Austin winter day, the heat pump alone carries the house efficiently. When the outdoor temperature drops toward freezing, the system brings on electric backup strips in the air handler to make up the difference, which is less efficient but keeps the house warm. During a multi-day freeze like February 2021, expect the backup to run more and the electric bill to reflect it. The bigger risk in an extended freeze is a power outage, not the heat pump. Homeowners who want a backup that does not depend on the grid can pair a heat pump with a gas furnace, or look at a standby generator, which our Austin electrical team installs.
Why is my heat pump blowing lukewarm air in winter?
Because that is how heat pumps heat. A gas furnace delivers air that feels hot at the vent; a heat pump delivers air that is warmer than the room but not hot, and it runs longer to get the same result. If the house holds temperature, nothing is wrong. If it does not, or if the air is genuinely cold, the usual causes are a low refrigerant charge, a reversing valve stuck in cooling mode, a failed defrost control or backup heat that is not engaging. Those are repairs, and we can usually narrow it down from your description before we arrive. See our Austin heating page for more on winter operation.
Does a heat pump cool as well as a regular AC in Austin summers?
Identically, because in cooling mode it is a regular AC. The compressor, coils and refrigerant circuit do the same work; the only extra part is the reversing valve. A properly sized heat pump holds an Austin house at temperature through a 105-degree afternoon just as a straight-cool system would, and it has the same summer weak points: a coil packed with pollen or caliche dust, a heat-weakened capacitor, a clogged condensate drain in the attic. The spring tune-up matters just as much. If your heat pump is not keeping up in August, start with our Austin AC repair page; the diagnosis is the same.
Is it worth converting my gas furnace and AC to a heat pump in Round Rock?
If both pieces are near the end of their life, usually yes. A late-1990s Round Rock, Pflugerville or Cedar Park home with its original furnace and condenser is replacing both anyway, and a heat pump system does the job with one outdoor unit, eliminates combustion and flue concerns in the attic, and handles the mild Austin winter efficiently. If the furnace is fairly new and only the AC has failed, a matched straight-cool replacement may be the better use of money. We quote it both ways, in writing, and the decision is yours. Financing is available through Service Finance Company, subject to credit approval.
*Offers cannot be combined with other promotions or applied to dispatch fees. No cash value. Must present offer at time of service. Call for details.
